Dish cleaning device with detergent feed



Dec. 4, 1956 J. MORITT DISH CLEANING DEVICE WITH DETERGENT FEED FiledJuly 13, 1955 INVENTO R IRVING J. MORLITT ATTORNE United States PatentDISH CLEANING DEVICE WITH DETERGENT FEED Irving J. Moritt, Brooklyn, N.Y. Application July 13, 1953, Serial No. 367,469

2 Claims. (Cl. 15-133) This invention relates to devices for use inwashing dishes of various types and kinds, so that the hands may be keptfree, or relatively free, from contact with detergents used in thecleaning of dishes. More particularly, the invention deals with atubular device of the character described having a brush head with amanually actuated plunger in the handle portion of the device foroperating a piston controlling intermittent discharge of detergent intothe brush head for application to the dishes being cleaned.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from thefollowing description, when taken together with the accompanyingdrawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosedand, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable referencecharacters in each of the views and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan and sectional view of a device made according to myinvention, with parts of the construction broken away anddiagrammatically illustrating positioning of the device in a hand.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal partial sectional view of the structure, asshown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the use of the scraperportion of the head in removing particles adhering to a pot or pan.

In the drawing, represents the tubular body portion of my device whichis slightly tapered from a flanged end portion 11 to the head 12 of thedevice. The flanged end has a projecting collar portion 13, having akeyway, as at 14, for receiving a key 15 on a tubular handle member 16.The contracted end portion of the body 10 has a tapered bore 17, inwhich a tapered end portion 18 of the head 12 is adapted to frictionallyfit. A transverse wall 19 is formed at the base of the bore 17 with asmall aperture 20 therein, the latter being normally closed by a ball21, having a light spring 22 acting thereon, the spring seating on thetapered end 18 and normally supporting the ball in position to close theopening 20. The head 12 is made of two detachably coupled parts, whichcan be referred to as the scraper part 23 and the brush part 24. Thescraper part 23 has an angularly extending tubular portion 25, centrallyof the base of which is a body 26 having a small discharge opening 27therein, which communicates with a bore 28 extending longitudinally ofthe head and through the tapered portion 18, as clearly shown in Fig. 2of the drawing.

The outside diameter of the tubular portion is tapered to receive acorrespondingly tapered bore 29 of the brush head, this brush headcarrying circumferentially spaced bristles 30, forming what may betermed a tubular brush for use in cleaning dishes, to which a detergenthas been applied through action of the device, as later described.

The handle member 16 has a longitudinally ribbed gripper surface 31 forsecurely holding the device in the hand. The outer end portion 32 of thehandle member is opened for admission of detergent into the storagechamber 33 formed in the handle member and this open end is closed by acover 34, having threaded engagement with the end 32, as indicated at35.

The other end portion of the handle member has a transverse pistoncylinder 36 arranged therein and joining the walls of the handle memberin a Web, as indicated at 37. The tubular handle member 16 has commondiameter bores at end portions thereof, which are divided or partitionedby the cylinder 36 and web 37. One of these bores forms the storagechamber 33; whereas the other bore opens into the tubular body 10. Thecylinder opens outwardly through the wall of the handle member 16 andthis opening is closed by a ring 38, in which the plunger portion 39 ofa piston 40 operates, the plunger 39 being normally extended beyond thecollar 38 by a spring 41 arranged in the cylinder 36.

The cylinder 36, adjacentthe wall of the handle member, has a ventpassage 42 for breaking vacuum back of the cylinder in outward movementof the piston. The inner end of the cylinder has a reduced small housing43, in which a ball 44 is mounted, the ball acting as a valve closing anadmission aperture 45, placing the cylinder 36 in communication with thechamber 33. The side of the cylinder 36, adjacent the inner end thereof,has a discharge port 46, from which detergent can be pressure dischargedin controlling discharge through the aperture 27 into the brush head, aswill be apparent. Considering Fig. 2 of the drawing, it will appear thatthe spring 41 has a radial end41f, which retains the ball 44 againstdisplacement from the housing 43.

At this time, it might be said that the detergent which is in a liquidor substantially liquid state is free to flow from the chamber 33 intothe tubular body 10 and is held in this body or the chamber 10 thereofby the ball valve 21. However, when the piston 40 is actuated, forexample, by the thumb of a hand, as diagrammatically indicated in Fig. lof the drawing, the action of the piston will pressure discharge :apredetermined amount of the detergent into the head for application tothe dish, pan or the like being cleaned. In operation, the device isreciprocated over a surface in a scrubbing or scouring fashion anddishes, pans or the like can be cleaned by simply holding the same undera stream of water, or by intermittent dipping into a pan filled withwater, whichever procedure is found to be desirable.

From time to time and, particularly pots and pans, these utensils have acollection of congealed matter ad hering to their surfaces. This mattercan be freed by the use of the scraper blade 47 on the head 12, or thepart 23 of said head. The scraper blade preferably flares outwardly toform a wide scraper edge 48, which is preferably contracted to form arelatively sharp edge, as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

The entire device can be made of any desired material, or combinationsof materials, and I have found it particularly desirable to use certaintypes and kinds of plastic materials which simplify the cost ofproducing the device, in that the plastic parts can be readily moulded.However, in other instances, portions of the tool may be made from metalwith plastic parts associated therewith. While ditferent types ofbristles can be provided in the brush head 30, I have found that theplastic or nylon type of bristles are suitable for the intended purpose.

It will be apparent that the purpose of the key 15 is to maintain thehead 12 in predetermined position with respect to the plunger 39. In theaccompanying drawing, the plunger .is shown at one side of the handlemember and this has been found to be a practical arrangement. However,in some devices, the keying can be so controlled as to dispose theplunger in other positions with respect to the'head. It will also beunderstood that the angular arrangement of the head with respect to thehandle member is such as to enable the brush 30 to get into corners of.a pot or pan and also to maintain the hand .in a raised position withrespect to a dish or pan or other type ofmember being cleaned.

In the use of the device, it will be understood that the plunger 39 isintermittently actuated to bring into the head 12 sufficient detergentto perform the operation of cleaning dishes, pots and pans. In thisconnection, it will be understood that one charge of the detergent intothe head may be 'sufiicient to clean several dishes but, in any event,the control is available for supplying the required amount of detergentfrom time to time. It will also be understood that, between uses, thedevice can be stored in any suitable manner and the detergent ismaintained sealed within the device until such time as furtheruse'thereof is required. A single filling of the chamber 33 will, innormal instances, care for several dish washing operations.

V For purposes of description, the scrubbing and scraping device may bereferred to as a tool or implement and the tubular body, includingthehan-dle member, may be considered the shank of the tool, at one endof which is the combination brush and scraper head and, at the other endof which is the cap, controlling refilling of the chamber in the handlemember of the shank. In like manner, the plunger and piston unit as awhole may be regarded as a pump, including the ball check valve. Stillfurther, the spring seated valve .in the tubular body of the shank andthe port controlled thereby may be referred to as a valve controlledport.

It will be noted, from a consideration of Fig. 2 of the drawing, thatthe head 12 has a projecting key 49 to key the head in definite positionwith respect to the tubular body'portion 10.

It is also preferred that the tapered portion 18, as well as the collar13, be cemented into position so that the handle member 16, as well asthe head 12, become integral with the tubular body 10.

It will be understood that the closing of the ball valve 21 facilitatesthe flow of liquid from the chamber 33 into the cylinder 36. This alsoprevents liquid from being sucked back from the chamber when the plunger39 is moved outwardly bythe spring 41. In this connection, it will beunderstood that the plunger is sealed by the collar 38 and, in thisoutward movement of the plunger, the material that may-be sucked .in,back of the piston 40 through the passage 42, will be forced back intothe chamber 33 through said passage.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A dish cleaning device of the character described, comprising atapered tubular body, a brush head at the contracted end of said body, aone-piece moulded tubular handle member at the other end of said body,said handle member having one-diameter bores opening through both ends,the bore at one end of said member forming a storage chamber for aliquid detergent, a detachable cap for closing said chamber, said boresbeing divided by a Web and an integral hollow cylinder traversing thebores adjacent the other end of said member, the integral structure ofsaid handle member facilitating moulding thereof, said cylinder having aport communicating with the bore at the second named end of said member,the cylinder having a valve controlled aperture opening into saidchamber, a manually and spring operated pump in said cylinder andaccessible outwardly of said member, a collar mounted in said member andcylinder for retaining the pump against displacement from said cylinder,said head having a discharge passage, through which detergent passesinto the brush of said head, and operation of said pump controllingtransfer of detergent from said chamber through said cylinder and intosaid tubular body for pressure feed through the discharge passage ofsaid head into the brush of said head.

2. A dish cleaning device of the character described, comprising atapered tubular body, a brush head at the contracted end of said body, aone-piece moulded tubular handle member at the other end of said body,said handle member having one-diameter bores opening through both ends,the bore at one end of said member forming a storage chamber for aliquid detergent, a detachable cap for closing said chamber, said boresbeing divided by a web and an integral hollow cylinder traversing thebores adjacent the other end of said member, the integral structure ofsaid handle member facilitating moulding thereof, said cylinder having aport communicating with the bore at the second named end of said member,the cylinder having a valve controlled aperture opening into saidchamber, a manually and spring operated pump in said cylinder andaccessible outwardly of said member, a collar mounted in said member andcylinder for retaining the pump against displacement from said cylinder,said head having a discharge passage, through which detergent passesinto the brush of said head, operation of said pump controlling transferof detergent from said chamber through said cylinder and into saidtubular body for pressure feed through the discharge passage of saidhead into the brush of said head, and a valve controlling passage ofdetergent through the tubular body to said head.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,392,369 Stoewsand Oct. 4, 1921 1,676,857 Cheron July 10, 19282,163,979 Judson June 27, 1939 2,224,644 Ellis Dec. 10, 1940

